No breakthrough yet in theft of Maharaja’s daggers

No headway was made by the police a day after the theft at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama in which seven 19th-century daggers of the Sikh ruler’s army were stolen. These daggers were among the nine housed in a glass enclosure in the Panorama’s VIP room.

punjabUpdated: Jan 13, 2015 21:54 IST

Shaheen P Parshad Hindustan Times

No headway was made by the police a day after the theft at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama in which seven 19th-century daggers of the Sikh ruler’s army were stolen. These daggers were among the nine housed in a glass enclosure in the Panorama’s VIP room.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Bikram Pal Singh Bhatti said they had received “some leads”. “The matter is being duly investigated,” he added.

On Tuesday, the cops enhanced the security of the Panorama and quizzed more employees, besides taking finger prints from the spot.

According to officials of the Panorama, which is manned by guards who are ex-servicemen employed by the government, the daggers had been in Amritsar since 1977 after they were brought here from Patiala. From the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum, these had been shifted to the Panorama when it was opened for public in 2006. The Panorama, which is under the Amritsar municipal corporation and Punjab tourism department, is manned by three security guards and an inspector who work on rotation, one at a time. A police post is also situated close by.

The day also saw a visit from an official of the tourism department from Chandigarh, who met police officials. Raman Kumar, curator of the Panorama, said, “As of now, there is no intimation of any visit by archaeological experts, but that is likely in days to come seeing the enormity of the theft.”